A-
Washington Commanders
The Commanders robbed the room for Slaughter. Final grade: A-.
by gormenghast20 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 4 steals
· 1 reaches
You could see the war room lean forward. Jake Slaughter at the 78th pick is the sort of fall that does not happen, except it just did.
The tight end hole is the one line item this class does not answer. The cost of the Moore reach is exactly the players who went right after him. The veteran additions, Mike Green chief among them, give the class a floor the rookies alone would not.
Stockpiling next year's capital is patient, if unglamorous, asset work.
In the end it comes back to Chris Johnson, and a haul good enough to build on right away.
Pick-by-Pick
Nice patience on Chris Johnson, who had no business lasting to Round 2, Pick 15. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They read the board right and Zachariah Branch was the payoff at the 71st pick. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
The board fumbled Jake Slaughter all the way to slot 78, and they scooped it up. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They paid a round early for Louis Moore in No. 147, more than the board wanted. A minor itch, scratched.
A tidy little value on Seth McGowan in pick No. 187, a step better than break-even. The roster fit checks out.
Justin Jefferson slid further than he should have, and the 209th overall pick is lovely value for the linebacker. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Fair-plus on Jeremiah Wright, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.